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Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: January 20, 2023
Traumatic brain injury: a disease process, not an event
Brent E Masel1, Douglas S DeWitt
1Department of Neurology, Transitional Learning Center at Galveston, The Moody Center for Traumatic Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Research/Mission Connect, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77550, USA. bmasel@tlc-galveston.org
Journal of Neurotrauma
|May 28, 2010
Summary
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a chronic disease, not a single event. Recognizing TBI as a long-term condition improves patient outcomes and guides future research for better management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Public Health
- Chronic Disease Management
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is often viewed as a singular event with temporary effects.
- Current perceptions neglect the long-term, systemic impacts of TBI on multiple organ systems.
- This limited view hinders comprehensive patient care and research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for classifying TBI as a chronic disease process.
- To emphasize the lifelong, multi-systemic consequences of TBI.
- To encourage healthcare providers and insurers to adopt a chronic disease model for TBI management.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on TBI outcomes.
- Analysis of TBI's characteristics against the World Health Organization's definition of chronic disease.
- Conceptual framework development for TBI as a chronic condition.
Main Results:
- TBI exhibits characteristics of a chronic disease: permanence, irreversible pathology, need for specialized rehabilitation, and long-term care.
- TBI is linked to increased mortality, reduced life expectancy, and a higher incidence of neurological and non-neurological disorders.
- These effects can persist for months or years post-injury, impacting various organ systems.
Conclusions:
- TBI should be redefined and managed as a chronic disease, not an isolated event.
- Recognizing TBI's chronic nature is crucial for developing effective, long-term therapeutic strategies.
- This shift in perspective can improve patient care, inform insurance policies, and direct research funding towards interrupting chronic TBI processes.
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